Gluten-free Cherry Truffle Cupcakes

February has long been celebrated as the month of romance. Small tokens of affection or handwritten notes are typically exchanged, and chocolate is consumed in larger quantities.

But in a world where exchanges of love are rare and chocolate has been deprived of its own section in the food pyramid, wouldn’t it feel fulfilling to create a chocolate delicacy for you and your loved ones — an irresistible token of love that can be enjoyed year-round?

These cherry truffle cupcakes not only provide a day’s dosage of chocolate, but even those with gluten- or lactose-intolerance can enjoy them. They are everything you want in a chocolate cupcake, with an added chocolate-covered surprise in the middle!

Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour evenly into cupcake liners.

Bake for 20-265 minutes or until center is set. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Directions for cherry truffle filling:

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add condensed milk and vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture is thick.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

While the mixture is chilling, scoop out the center of each cupcake with an apple corer in order to make an opening for the filling. (Only do this step if you have allowed the cupcakes to cool completely).

Once the mixture is chilled, scoop out small portions of the mixture and roll them into small balls with a cherry in the center.

Place truffles on a parchment paper lined tray and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After the truffles have chilled, place a truffle in each cupcake hole.

Frost your cupcakes with chocolate frosting, and top it off with a cherry.